The Dark Crystal

From IMDB:

Another planet, another time. 1000 years ago the Dark Crystal was damaged by one of the Urskeks and an age of chaos began. Now the time of the great conjunction of the three suns is near. If the crystal is not healed now the control of the evil Skeksis will last forever. Jen the last of the Gelflings nearly exterminated by monsters controlled by the Skeksis starts his dangerous journey to find the missing shard of the crystal. Will he be able to heal the crystal and restore order on the planet? Written by Matthias Scheler

It's been at least 20 years since I've seen this movie. The animation and puppetry are, of course, laughable in today's age of CGI but still impressive nonetheless. I remember being so scared of the Skeksis and so sad when the Master died. I don't know if I really understood the dual nature of the Skeksis and the Mystics. I know it's explained but I'm not sure if I grasped the full understanding back then. There was a lot I didn't remember. I remembered the landstriders but forgot that they died. I didn't remember that Kira got stabbed and I forgot how annoying the stupid little dog thing, Fizzgig, was. And the noise that the Skeksis Chamberliain made, I will never forget that. Anyway, it is still a beautiful little movie even if it is still a little scary. My husband, who had never seen it, asked if it really was a kid's movie. Yes it is, but the little boy got bored so maybe only for older kids. I hear there's a prequel in the works. I'd be intersted in seeing that. In fact, I wouldn't mind if they redid this one with better effects. I'm surprised they haven't.

You've been hit by a smooth criminal

Cleolinda wrote a very nice memory post about Michael Jackson (I agree with everything she says and have the same memories) and it got me thinking. It is a shame to have lost 2 of pop cultures biggest icons on the same day. While I liked Farrah Fawcett and thought she was a very beautiful woman and seemed like a nice person, I never really saw her in anything other than a Jonathan Taylor Thomas movie. I feel sad for her family to have lost her and wish them well. And now her death has been (momentarily) overshadowed by Michael Jackson's. Hers was, frankly, expected while his was not.

But Michael Jackson was a constant part of my life growing up. He and Madonna are the biggest icons to come out of the same era, even if he started out younger. They are the only ones I can really think of from when I was growing up that seem like peers to me.

My favorite song is Smooth Criminal (maybe mostly since my nickname is Annie) and I love that video. I remember being scared of the Thriller video and would run from the room when it came on. He was undeniably talented and it is a shame that his life went in such a downward spiral. And it is a shame that no one seems to know how or if to honor him for what he was or what he'd become. But I've always said people are who they are even after death. I see no point in sentimentalizing the dead, they were who they were and should be remembered for everything. There is a whole lot more that could be said, but that about sums it up.